Billy Ray Cyrus

Billy Ray Cyrus has two top 10 hits in My FABE Music Top 10 countdown.  One of them went all the way to #1.

He gets his second hit 26 years after the first.

1992 - Achy Breaky Heart (#1)

2018 - Butterfly Fly Away (with Miley Cyrus) (#7)

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus has four top 10 hits in My FABE Music Top 10 countdown.  One of them went all the way to #1.

2009 - The Climb (#3)

2009 - Party in the USA (#1)

2014 - Adore You (#10)

2018 - Butterfly Fly Away (with Billy Ray Cyrus) (#7)

Father John Misty

Father John Misty has one hit in My FABE Music's Top 10 countdown.

2018 - Pure Comedy (#8)

My Pick for the Grammy Album of the Year Award

There are many interesting storylines a music journalist can write on whoever wins the Grammy Album of the Year award this year, most importantly, if Jay-z can avenge Beyonce's previous Album of the Year losses, especially for the 'Beyonce' and last year's Lemonade album.

I have a feeling that although Beyonce is well-loved by fans, not many in the music industry really like her because this is after all a popularity contest among peers. They like her enough to nominate her, but not enough to give her this most prestigious award for any musician.

Anyhow, my vote this year goes to the Kiwi girl - Lorde - whose masterful Melodrama album is a tremendous achievement for one so young.

The first four songs alone weaves such a beautiful tapestry it's hard not to play it one after another.

But I don't think she'll win.

This should be the year Kendrick Lamar wins this award. Like Beyonce, he has been overlooked twice already and still he keeps producing some of the most forward-moving, exquisitely composed work of this generation.

He has never looked back artistically and his fans always crave for new work from him because he's so original.

My Pick for Grammys Song of the Year - Julia Michaels' Issues

Once again, Despacito should win the Grammy Song of the Year award, to go with its Record of the Year win. It's also about time a non-English song wins this award to celebrate diversity in music.

However, among all the nominated songs, my favorite is Julia Michaels' Issues - and I have been voting for female songwriters for a long time, and Julia belongs to the new generation, so best to vote for them for support. - and this song is clearly written from a female point of view.

Sza's My Pick for Grammys Best New Artist

Bette Midler, Culture Club, Cyndi Lauper, and Norah Jones are all Grammy Best New artist winners, and only time will tell if this year's winner will have the legacy and loyal fan base that those previous winners I've mentioned have.

I am not a fan (yet) of Lil Uzi Vert and Alessia Cara (who will most likely win this) but I am a big fan of Khalid and Julia Michaels.

However, after listening to all their work, it's SZA's music that is the most compelling and certainly brings a new dimension to urban R&B music from a black woman's point of view.

I was introduced to her through Maroon 5's (2005 winner for this award) What Lovers Do hit, and she sounds even better in her own songs. Such confidence in songwriting and her way of singing.

It would be a welcome surprise if she wins.

My Grammy 'Record of the Year ' vote goes to Jay-z

Despacito should easily win the Grammy award for Record of the Year on Monday, with maybe Kendrick Lamar's 'Humble' as the spoiler, but if I were a voter, I won't be voting for those two songs.

I've been a fan of Latin music for three decades now but there's a certain blandness in the Latin landscape nowadays, or I am just getting old.

As for Kendrick Lamar, I find his songs from Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City far more interesting and superior from his current work, with Backstreet Freestyle as my most favorite.

Among the nominees, interestingly, it's Jay-z's 'The Story of O.J.' that sounds the most unique to me and sarcasm drips loads in the song - especially for voters like me who went through that O.J. debacle. So my vote goes to Jay-z.

However, since this is a Record of the Year award, 2017 was definitely Despacito all over the world - so no complaints there.

Setlist for Foster The People's Concert Here in Manila

I haven't bought tickets yet to the Foster the People concert here in Manila this January, since I still want to find out if their new songs are ok.

Here's a setlist of one of their shows and through this, I will find out if I will buy that ticket or not.

1. A Beginner's Guide to Destroying the Moon
   Play Video
2. Pay the Man
   Play Video
3. Helena Beat
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4. Life On The Nickel
   Play Video
5. Doing It for the Money
   Play Video
6. Waste
   Play Video
7. Are You What You Want to Be?
   Play Video
8. Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)
   Play Video
9. Lotus Eater
   Play Video
10. Blitzkrieg Bop
    (Ramones cover)
    Play Video
11. Pseudologia Fantastica
    Play Video
12. Houdini
    Play Video
13. Call It What You Want
    Play Video
14. Coming of Age
    Play Video
15. Ruby
    Play Video
16. The Truth
    Play Video
17. Sit Next To Me
    Play Video
18. Miss You
    Play Video
19. Encore:
20. Broken Jaw
    Play Video
21. Pumped Up Kicks
    Play Video
22. Loyal Like Sid & Nancy

Jennifer Weist

Jennifer Weist gets her first hit in My Weekly Top 10 countdown.

2017 - Leuchturm (with Peter Maffay) (#3)

Peter Maffay

Romanian-born German musician Peter Maffay has one hit in My Weekly Top 10 countdown.

2017 - Leuchturm (with Jennifer Weist) (#3)

James Blunt

James Blunt has fifteen top ten hits in My Weekly Top 10 countdown. Four of them went all the way to #1.

2004 - High (#6)

2005 - Wisemen (#9)

2005 - You're Beautiful (#1)

2005 - Goodbye My Lover (#1)

2007 - 1973 (#6)

2007 - One of the Brightest Stars (#1)

2007 - I'll Take Everything (#1)

2007 - Same Mistake (#3)

2008 - Carry You Home (#4)

2014 - Bonfire Heart (#5)

2014 - Face the Sun (#6)

2017 - Bartender (#2)

2017 - Love Me Better (#2)

2017 - Don't Give Me Those Eyes (#2)

My FABE Music Top 10 Countdown - January 12, 2018

Selena Gomez tops My FABE Music's Top 10 countdown this week, as 'Bad Liar' moves to the top spot.

Here are my ten favorite songs for the week ending January 12, 2018 -

#1 Bad Liar (#2)
      Selena Gomez

#2 Call It What You Want (#4)
      Taylor Swift

#3 Don't Give Me Those Eyes (#5)
      James Blunt

#4 Leuchtturm (#6)
      Peter Maffay / Jennifer Weist

#5 Five More Minutes (#8)
      Scotty McReery

#6 The Man (#9)
      The Killers

#7 Heartbreak Century (NEW)
      Sunrise Avenue

#8 Everything Now (NEW)
       Arcade Fire

#9 Seventh Heaven (NEW)
      Beck

#10 Love You Like That (NEW)
        Dagny

My FABE Music Top 10 Countdown - January 5, 2018

Rita Ora tops My FABE Music's Top 10 countdown this week, as Anywhere moves up to the top spot.

Here are my ten favorite songs for the week ending January 5, 2018 -

#1 Anywhere (#2)
      Rita Ora

#2 Bad Liar (#3)
       Selena Gomez

#3 Say Less (#4)
      Dillon Francis / G-Eazy
  
#4 Call It What You Want (#5)
      Taylor Swift

#5 Don't Give Me Those Eyes (#6)
      James Blunt

#6 Leuchtturm (#7)
      Peter Maffay / Jennifer Weist

#7 Atmosphere (#8)
      Kaskade

#8 Five More Minutes (NEW)
      Scotty McReery

#9 The Man (NEW)
      The Killers

#10 Black Spiderman (NEW)
        Logic